I know . . . the wait has been real, but it’s finally here! The video from the Costa Rica trip that I took with my lovelies Natalie and Kiara a few months ago. All footage was filmed by Mike Bishop and it features where we stayed during our first half of the trip at the Four Seasons Costa Rica, located on the Peninsula Papagayo. I really do miss waking up early every morning to the sound of crashing waves outside my window, and smelling sea salt on my skin as soon I stuck my head out the door. I slept the most relaxing and therapeutic of sleeps in this place. A sleep that extended into a meditative-like trance throughout the day. Pure happiness. We felt light on our feet by starting our mornings off with local fruits and the classic Costa Rican breakfast of eggs, rice, black beans and fried plantains. Such a well rounded breakfast that we would have energy to last us far into the evening, when finally our appetites would roar from the exertion we put out to complete our daily activities, which included surfing, paddle boarding, jet skiing and zip lining. All these activities were booked through the hotel (and paddle boarding is completely complimentary!). For those who are more into a zen state of mind, the hotel offers yoga, hiking sessions and of course spa treatments. I took advantage of that one afternoon and got the full body massage that also included sound therapy. It was the most soothing process. I finished the treatment with some ginger root tea and felt brand new. In a place like Costa Rica, where nature is so plethoric, it’s hard not to get one with it and work to treat your body in good, natural ways. It deserves it! And Costa Rica is a reminder of that! Pura Vida!

Now watch the video we made featuring Natalie, Kiara and I. Shot by Mike Bishop. I love remembering all the fun times we had! And I hope to visit Costa Rica soon, soon again!

And now let me present to you what definitely is the biggest hair transformation that I have ever experienced. And the best, thanks to MATRIX. After years of being a dark brunette haunted by leftover highlights from ombres of the past, I was finally ready for a major change. Something a bit more funky, but still me. It was time for me to get a MATRIX hair strobe! Red and pink has always caught my eye when I looked up hair inspiration, but I never had the guts before to actually give it a go myself. This time around, I finally said a bold WHY NOT?! You only live once yeah? And hair . . . well, it’s just hair . . . and sometimes you just have to have real fun with it. And so I told my stylist that I was going for something bold and bright, but still able to blend in with my natural color at the top. He told me a mix of peach, red, pink and purple tones to create a reddish sunset effect would be the perfect match for me. An intense color change, but still fitting in with earthy and bohemian style. I wasn’t sure what to really expect, but I trusted my gut and let the color stripping be put into action. I started to get excited as I saw Dan mixing colors in his bowls. So many bowls! So many colors! It was like sitting in on a live studio art show for the way he painted was quite an art form. Every stroke perfectly placed on my hair and balanced on both sides. It takes a talented hand and creative eye to create the finished result of my look! I was so impressed, and so happy at the end. I was beyond head over heels over my new color; fresh and bright for the summer season.

But, let’s talk more about the hair strobing process and what makes it so unique. The hair strobe by MATRIX is meant is highlight your best features, and is similar to using illuminator or highlighter on your cheekbones, tip of nose, above the lip, etc. to bring attention to certain features. It’s basically the same thing, just with hair instead! I got the cheek strobe, which means the highlights and color added to my hair will focus on calling attention to my cheeks and sides of the face. This is perfect for me since I love to wear my hair center parted most of the time, with light layers framing my face in the front. The effect brings my cheekbones to life, and also brightens up my face in general by bouncing light off at just the right places. I love that my new color complements perfectly the type of light bronze and golden hued makeup colors that I usually go for everyday, as well.

One of the interesting things to think about with a hair change like this is how it will effect my outfit choices! Before coming into the hair studio, I already had an idea of what I thought I wanted, and I knew that a more all white / neutral look would be a more fitting backdrop for my new hair look to come, and I was exactly right! My new sunset red was brought to life against my white dress. Right now, my wardrobe is very color and pattern heavy, but I do love mixing my bolder tastes with whites and sheer neutral fabrics. It looks like all my sheer white blouses will be coming out to play a lot more often now! Pretty excited for that actually. The fun thing is, my hair can act like an accessory now, especially with outfits that are more simple and neutral. It will be an interesting experience to see how I play around with that!

Thanks MATRIX for letting me have fun and experiment with my hair! I’m not afraid to go a little crazy anymore! Check out the MATRIX site to learn even more and see the different types of hair strobes out there 🙂

Since this weekend marks the official start of Coachella, I’m going to finally share on the blog the Urban Decay short film Natalie and I shot in Southern California last month called “The Getaway”. Direction was by the talented Asher Moss (the coolest dude ever). It’s such a blast being able to work on projects like this with my sister, and especially with a team that is so on point. The brand’s new summer beauty collection and the kick off of festival season and road trips was the inspiration behind the video. It’s everything my sister and I love about summer, and it’s everything that defines our home on the west coast. Natalie and I basically played characters who were very much like ourselves, and who are on the run from something . . . leaving it all behind and looking for some adventure. Decked out with Urban Decay beauty products so we look fancy and pretty while doing it all, because bad ass babes are confident. From Palm Springs to Downtown Los Angeles to Malibu, we made our way through all our favorite parts of Southern California. Partners in crime and each other’s best friends, that’s all that matters at the end of the day. In search of sunset and gold. Hope you guys love the video as much as we do!

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from our two days of shooting the video.